How to design a workspace that inspires creativity
In the wake of businesses shutting down temporarily over the last few years, the home office is experiencing something of a Renaissance. Folks who have the privilege of working from home have wide latitude to organize and decorate their offices however they see fit.
But with that great power comes great responsibility: with no company guidelines to keep us in check, no boss peering over our shoulder, home offices can start to take on the character of adjacent rooms. If you’re a messy Marvin or Maeve, it’ll come as little surprise when those cleaning habits (or lack thereof) migrate into the places we’re expected to be productive.
Spoiler alert!: Adopting good organizational and cleaning habits is conducive to a smooth and productive workspace. And hey, we’re into candles, so naturally, we like to think in terms of ritual. With a shift of mind, any habit can be transformed into a ritual.
If you’re still a traditional office dweller, we’ll leave it to you to decide whether a candle is a suitable companion for your workplace. If so, congrats! But don’t be surprised if, when you kindle that little flame, coworkers start visiting more often and hang around longer.
Come up with a workplace ritual that speaks to you. Here’s one we like. Light the candle that lifts your spirits, and let that be the flame that kindles your “office hours.” This is the ceremonial start to our productivity, like the Olympic torch that’s lit to start the proceedings. Let the games begin!
The next steps will be tailored to your specific occupation - open your laptop, drawing program, spreadsheet, etc. Set that favourite coffee mug in its corner of the desk, contents silently steaming. You get the gist. To fully instantiate your process as a ritual, you might write the steps out on a sticky note until they become second nature. At that point, the flow of events will likely carry you seamlessly into the work that pays the bills.
When the business of business is done, consider adopting a short cleaning phase, whereby you spend a few minutes tidying up your workstation for the next session. Keep that candle alight until this is done, and then blow it out with relish – a punctuation mark at the end of your effortful hours. Whoosh. Satisfaction!
Here are a few scents to light and maintain your own productive and creative fires.
Coconut & Acai is a true vacation for the senses, but remember you’re supposed to be working! Juicy acai berries and crisp green apples set the tone for this playful and fruity concoction. The sweetness of coconut milk, jasmine, and sugar crystals mingle in the shadows, calling to mind warm, midnight-scented breezes of distant, tropical shores.
Salt Air + Honeydew. Here’s a symbiosis of salt with sweetness to satiate the senses. It’s a beautiful balance of contrasts, of opposites somehow attracting. And we are the ones helplessly drawn in, destined to love the alchemy achieved by this seemingly odd coupling. Well, if this pairing is wrong, we don’t want to be right. This somehow-elegant duo overcomes our olfactory defences, as sea salt carried on ocean breezes mingles with soft, subtle fruits and musk. The hammock awaits – after the workday is done.
Rêverie is a wise choice for the workspace. Let the little flame of this aromatic beauty warm your space while you burn the midnight oil at your desk. We hope you won’t be working that late, but one never knows! Reverie’s sweet side is tempered by a more mature edge, as beauty might be enhanced, tempered with time. Like a fine wine made more interesting, and intoxicating with age.
We hope these tips and scents set the stage for more productive (dare we say enjoyable?) work sessions. Please do share any ideas that have worked for you in this space. Gotta go, now. Off to work!